Fly With Me
by MiraStelloc
Summary: Mira Stelloc, A Kridelin, escaped her planet with an Andorian diplomat who enrolls her in Starfleet. After being rescued from a crumbling Star Base 21, she begins her stay on the Enterprise, where she finds love and adventures galore...
1. At The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

**So this story started out as a Bones love story because I've loved him for forever, but after re-watching the original series, I always felt so bad for Kirk, so it's kind of about him too. It's mostly based off the original series, but it has some new moments too, as you see in the beginning. Special thanks to 98° for the title, and to Richard Marx and Donna Lewis's 'At The Beginning' for the chapter 1 title. I'm really just posting this for my own amusement, but I hope you enjoy. I own nothing but the OCs and the random stuff I make up. :P and by the way, if you've read PyroQueenofFire's stuff, the last name Stelloc, was something I made up all by myself.**

xxxxx

**Chapter One: At the Beginning**

"Mira Stelloc. You have shown great prowess in every division of study; command, xenolinguistics, fencing, gun play, engineering, communications, science, medicine, and tactical strategies. Therefore, we are allowing you to choose your crew for the Kobayashi Maru test."

"With all due respect, Admiral, I can make it work with any crew you give me. Please, surprise me…but I do have one request."

"Speak it."

"I wish to take the exam with Cadet Chapel."

"It shall be done."

"Thank you, Admiral. I will see you at 0800 hours."

I bowed low to Admiral Lombak, and exited the audience chamber, to be greeted by my best friend, Christine Chapel, who had been waiting for me to finish my appointment with the admiral.

"How'd it go?" She asked, linking arms with me.

"Perfect. You are a part of my crew for the unbeatable test, which will happen at 0800."

"Excellent. But explain something to me."

"I'll try. Shoot."

"Why have you been putting yourself through all this? I mean, why study every area? I focused on medicine; why didn't you focus on your real love: engineering?"

I sighed. "I guess I'm just trying to prove myself to my parents."

"You never really talk about your parents, or your family for that matter. Are they that awful?"

I shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it. If deciding my future for me is awful, then yes. Anyways, I come from the planet Kridelin, where my father, mother, and two younger twin brothers reside. No one has ever left the planet before, but I did."

"You've never opened up this much before. I had no idea you were even from another planet. Is there any other reason why you left?"

I nodded. "I didn't want to rule! I wanted adventure! I wanted a life free of structure and a life to run on my own as I saw fit! So when an Andorian Diplomat passed through on his way to Earth, I stowed away on his ship when he left the planet. He was the first alien any of us Kridelins had ever seen."

"You ran away?"

"Yes. He found me, and when I begged him not to take me back to Kridelin, he took pity on me. He brought me to earth, and taught me everything I know. Marthos, that was his name, let me stay with him, got me a job, and enrolled me in Starfleet, where I met you."

I started tearing up, unsure of if I could go on.

"Why are you crying? Did something happen to him?"

"We were here less then a year, when he got his captaincy. He'd already been through his eight year training, so the U.S.S. Heartstring was his to command. One day, his ship drifted into the Romulan neutral zone, and it was so badly damaged it couldn't be steered. He didn't make it out alive. No one did. He left me everything…including this fan." I touched the fan where it had hung at my side for four years. "That's why I use it all the time, and always carry it with me. To be reminded of Marthos, and what he did for me."

"What's up with that fan anyways?"

"It's made of natural steel. It's been molded and shaped to act and look just like a fan, but it's deadly." I pulled the fan off my belt and opened it. "See how the steel has been stretched between the metal ribs where cloth should be? The image painted on it has cracked and been worn away a little, but it's still there, and distracts people from the fact that it is in fact a weapon."

"I always wondered why you always carried that fan with you—wait. Back way up. You said that you left because you didn't want to rule? Are you some sort of princess or something?"

"That took you way too long to pick up on. Yes I was. My name and title were Princess Mira Aurelia Josephine Stelloc. But that's behind me. I'm just plain Mira Stelloc now. Let's go get something to eat, okay?"

"You're always thinking about your stomach." Christine giggled.

I shrugged. "It's what I do."

"It took forever to get out of those hallways."

"Well it is lunchtime in my book."

We walked down the large steps of the academy, giggling when my stomach rumbled.

"Shhh, tummy! I'll get you some food real soon I promise." I told it.

We giggled harder, and then stretched when the warm sunlight hit our faces. We passed by two really cute boys talking about the Kobayashi Maru test…otherwise I would've walked up to them and started hitting on them. I stopped to listen.

"The test is unbeatable! I've never heard of anyone going back for seconds, let alone thirds." The taller and older of the two boys exclaimed to the one with dirty blonde, semi-curly hair.

Christine leaned over to me. "Mira aren't you taking it for the third time?"

I nodded. The younger boy had finally caught sight of us, and wandered over. Although he was cute, I could tell that he was a total skirt-chaser

"Hellooo ladies!" He said checking each of us out in turn.

"Hi. Sorry but we couldn't help overhearing your conversation, that you're going to take the Kobayashi Maru test for a third time." Christine said to the boy with dirty blonde hair.

"Yep. At 0900 hours." He replied proudly.

"I'm taking it for the third time as well." I smiled.

"I think you're both nuts." The older boy said.

"My name's Mira. This is best friend Christine Chapel. She's going to be a nurse."

"James T. Kirk, at your service. This is my best friend Leonard McCoy. He's a doctor." The younger boy said.

"You don't know what you want to do either?" I asked.

"I didn't say that. I'm going to be a captain." James said confidently.

"You're very sure of yourself. I'm stuck in limbo." I sighed.

We all laughed and when we shook hands, I finally really looked them over. Leonard had Brown hair, and the most beautiful silver blue eyes I'd ever seen. Jim's hazel eyes and dirty blonde hair were a pale comparison, but I did note that I wished I could play with his semi-curly hair. I noticed Leonard was staring at my eyes too. I blushed and pulled away my hand and my gaze. His eyes were enchanting. I turned to James.

"So are you trying to prove it's not actually unbeatable too?" James asked before I could say a word.

I nodded. "The first time I took it I had no idea what to expect. I took it a second time in order to gather information about it. I figured out everything and Klingons and there vessels as I could, and I am ready to take it on for the last time." I turned to Christine. "Have you looked at what time it is?"

"I'm late!" She cried.

"Me too! See you later Jim!" Leonard called as the two of them ran to their class."

"Medical personnel." I scoffed, laughing, but then stopping when I felt my empty stomach turn over. I'd totally forgotten about my hunger. "God I'm staving!"

"Let's go grab a bite to eat, that is, if you don't have a class to jet off to." James offered.

"I'm totally finished because of the test tomorrow morning."

"Good. Follow me: I know this great place."

I shifted uncomfortably. Was he only asking me to go with him to talk strategy? Or was it because he was objectifying me earlier? I bit my lip.

"I'm not going to discuss my strategy…except to tell you to think outside the box." I said, getting my worries out in the open.

"I wasn't planning on talking strategy at all…maybe not even talking at all. But thanks for the tip."

"Slow down, skirt-chaser. Let's get to know each other first, and then we'll see where we go. And you're welcome."

He offered his arm to me. I took it, and we walked off for an early lunch.

xxxxx

"Captain, we've been hailed by the crew of the Kobayashi Maru. They've lost power and they're stranded. They need our help to rescue them." Christine said.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Please alert medical to begin the preparations to receive the stranded crew."

"But Keptain! Klingon wessels are decloaking. Ve're surrounded." A cute boy, with a very heavy Russian accent which made me giggle, said.

It was going to be hard to take this seriously when he talked like that. I couldn't take my mind off of it.

"I just want medbay prepared if we make it out alive." I clarified.

"Keptain! Dey are charging der veapons!"

"Cut power to all non-vital systems, and put the weapons at 1/3 impulse power. Let them think we're helpless."

"Mira, are you crazy?" Christine cried.

"They're Klingons, Christine. Not plain cold-blooded murderers. Even if this is a simulation, they should still be all about the chase, the honor, and the fight. There's no honor in annihilating an unarmed opponent. And as sure as the simulation is still going, I was right."

Christine shrugged and returned her attention to her console. "Captain, they're advancing on us…probably hoping to claim our ship as one of theirs."

"Wait for it…Wait for it…" I muttered. "Hail them now!"

"Hailing on all frequencies…Nothing."

"Ensign, can you put this on screen?" I asked handing a diskette to the Russian boy, who nodded and did as he was told. "I want you all to look closely at this blueprint." I pointed to three different parts of the ship. "These are their weapons banks, cloaking devices, and shield generators. I want them targeted, and when I give the order I want them taken out." I started to return to my chair. "Prepare a tachyon burst and also an EMP."

"They're within transporter range. I think they may try to beam aboard." Christine said.

"Emit the tachyon burst, wait one second and then send out the electromagnetic pulse."

"Yes Keptain. Ve haff disrupted der shields!"

"Fire phasers now! The disruption will only last 20 seconds."

"Captain?"

"Yes Lieutenant Chapel?"

"We've disabled the Klingon warbirds."

"Take out their transporters and warp engines."

"Yes sir."

"Dey are completely defenseless. Should ve destroy dem?"

"No Ensign—what is your name? They still have communications. Leave them there to rot and begin the rescue of the stranded crew. I'm still waiting on that name."

"Dreykowich. Ricter Dreykowich."

"Dreykovich, okay. Good job and thank you." I said, touching his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You are velcome."

"Mira! You did it! You beat the unbeatable test!" Christine cried hugging me.

I let my knees buckle finally, and Christine being the great friend she was, guided me to the captain's chair and sat me in it.

"I was so nervous I was going to fail again. They shouldn't have given me a cute Russian helmsman. I spent two months trying to figure out the secret to this test. You had no faith in me, did you?"

"Well…no. I mean, it was supposed to be unbeatable. You don't hate me do you?"

"No. I had no faith in me either."

"Where did you get that blueprint?"

"One of Marthos's books. He had been a Klingon prisoner once, and kept a journal…including a map he stole from them one day."

"It sounds like he had a lot of adventures."

"He did. Hey look! It's James and Leonard. Hi boys." I stood up from the captain's chair, and allowed James to take it.

"Hi Mira. How did it go?" James asked.

"I did it. I won."

"What?" Leonard cried. "How?"

"I can't tell you that until James takes it."

"Cadet Stelloc. Come with me."

"Yes Admiral. Bye Boys. Bye Christine."

"Bye." They all said in unison, and watched me leave.

xxxxx

"How did you beat the test?"

"I didn't cheat if that's what you're asking. I spent two months preparing for that test. It was my third time taking it. I gathered all the information I could during and after the second time I took it. I studied everything I could about Klingons and their habits and traditions. I studied a bird of prey blueprint that my caretaker had stolen when he was a Klingon prisoner. And the most important thin I learned was how to disrupt shields. I was amazed that I beat it."

"This is unprecedented."

"Admiral Lombak, with all due respect, you saw how researched I was. You saw my knees buckle, and how genuinely surprised I was. If I'd cheated, you'd know it. I've never been a good liar, and I've never cheated in my life. May I go watch Cadet Kirk's test?"

"Report back here afterwards. We're not yet done."

I sighed. "Fair enough."

I ran from the conference room to the glass booth above the testing area, in time to see every instrument fizzle out for a second, then come back on.

"Fire on all enemy ships." James ordered.

"But Jim, their shields are still up!" Leonard cried.

"Are they?" James asked.

Leonard looked back at his console. "No they're not."

"Fire on all enemy ships. One photon apiece. Let's not waste ammunition."

I giggled. Even though he cheated, it was actually really smooth. The people in the overlooking booth with me didn't seem to think so; they stormed out to talk to Admiral Lombak. I hurried into the examination room.

"That was the smoothest cheating I've ever seen."

"So you did see. You can't tell me **YOU** didn't cheat." James said as he turned and smiled at me.

"Actually I can. I prepared for two months and succeeded the good, old-fashioned way." I turned to Leonard who I hadn't really said 'hi' to that morning, although it was implied, and got lost in his eyes for a second. "Oh shit! I need to talk to the admiral some more…James, you should probably come too."

The two of us waved goodbye to Leonard, and ran back to the conference room.

xxxxx


	2. Star Base 21

**Author's Note:**

**Well that was exciting. I've been rewatching the original series and Star Base 11 was where George Samuel Kirk was, so I had to change it to Star Base 21. There are three things you need to know: number 1- remember the name Ricter Dreykovich…it's very important and will come up later. Number 2-Lizabell is pronounced liz-a-bell like Elizabeth, and number 3-Cinnamon Shafer will be mentioned occasionally, and later will become a main character. Cinnamon Shafer is all thanks to my sister Kyla, aka, PyroQueenofFire, and that's who the character is based off of. You see that PyroQueenofFire? I'm a nice person and I thank you for your contributions…**

xxxxx

**Chapter 2: Star Base 21**

"I don't understand. I just fixed the life support systems this morning!" I cried.

Jessica shook her head. "I don't know what's going on. You're the best engineer, how is this happening?"

"I wish I could tell you." I sighed, prying open the bulkhead I was in front of.

Where there should've been a whole mess of jumbled wires, there was nothing. Every wire was cleanly cut. I finally knew why everything was going wrong. We were purposefully being sabotaged. In less than an hour's time, the space station would crash onto the planet's surface, killing all of its 400 inhabitants.

"This makes no sense. This is Lyle's station…Is Lyle trying to kill us?" I asked.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't notice when Jessica came up behind me and slugged me over the head with a strength that wasn't human at all. I blacked out.

The first thing I did when I regained consciousness was check the time. I'd been out for twenty minutes, and there was absolutely no one around, where there had been a few people milling about before I blacked out.

I didn't understand where Jessica's strength had come from. I'd personally run background checks on everyone who came onto the station, and she was most definitely human.

"Ouch…that really hurt." I rubbed the back of my head where I'd been slugged as I tried to remember everything I'd turned up on both her and Lyle.

They had both been hospitalized for years, and then suddenly got up, perfectly healthy. I cringed and smacked myself in the forehead. Why had it not occurred to me before? They were probably in a symbiotic relationship with an alien life form. I was a complete moron. I hit one of the buttons on my console to record and send out a distress signal.

"This is the chief engineer of Star Base 21. At least two of our own have sabotaged us. We have around thirty minutes before the station crashes into the planet, killing us all. If there is a ship nearby, regardless of what happens to me, I beg of you to transport the 35 children to safety. I will go after the saboteurs."

As I ran down the corridor, I couldn't understand why I was left alive. If they had wanted me dead, they would've had no problems taking me out. Was Jessica still in there somewhere? I turned a corner and almost broke down into tears. Everyone was dead. There were no signs of wounds…it must have been something that was put into the vents…which explained why the air smelled stale. There was a small whimpering from behind the paneling in the wall beside me.

I knelt down and gently pried the panel away from the wall, to be faced with nine crying children. None of them were older then 9 years old. They all cried harder when they saw me. This had to have been traumatic for them, considering all of their parents had to have been slaughtered.

"Shhh. It's okay, I won't hurt you. Out of 35, are you nine all that's left?"

They nodded slowly.

"Those horrible monsters! I need you all to stay hidden and quiet until I come to get you. If someone that's not me comes, I want you to run, okay? They are very bad people. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay."

I silently put the panel back in place and pulled my fan off my belt, prepared to attack anything that came near me. A voice came over the ship-wide comm. Lyle.

"Mira, I know you're still alive, because someone didn't do their job properly…so wherever you are know this: when we later die with our hosts…which I assure you wont happen today, we'll rest easy knowing we dwindled your miserable race."

I had wandered over to the wall, and traced the frequency. They were broadcasting from the bridge.

"They're going to try and escape using a shuttle." I mumbled. "Not if I can help it."

I knew I had to put myself between them and escape. Lyle had made a fatal mistake telling me that they would die if their hosts died. If I was going down, they were going down with me, otherwise, this could just happen all over again somewhere else, and I couldn't let that happen. I was closer to the shuttle bay then the bridge was…if I could get there first, I'd have a fighting chance. I hurled myself into the lift.

"Shuttle Bay." I said.

I'd have to kill Lyle and Jessica. I'd have to kill my two best friends since I got here. This was going to be harder then I thought. The lift doors slid open, and I ran to the shuttle bay doors. I was about to cry. I wasn't sure if I could do this, but if anything, I had to save the children.

"Computer, locate Ensign Jessica Fredrickson, and Lieutenant Lyle Jacobs."

"Ensign Fredrickson and Lieutenant Jacobs are in the lift." A cool female voice rang out.

"Perfect." I muttered, standing in front of the shuttle bay doors. "Computer lock the shuttle and hangar bay doors to open on my command alone. Command Code: MStelloc938651A459586F."

"Hangar and Shuttle doors locked. Only authorized entry: Commander Stelloc." The computer told me.

"Ah. This makes my job easier."

"Is Lyle still in there somewhere?" I asked tentatively.

"Lyle's been dormant for the past year. He gave up trying to fight me."

"Oh. So that's why he…you…became so distant."

"Mira, move." Jessica ordered.

"Why don't you kill me, like you killed everyone else?" I sneered. "And in case you haven't noticed, I outrank you Jessica, and you too Lyle. I don't care if you're in a symbiotic relationship with those that I called my friends. I don't have to do a single thing you say. I will kill you if I have to."

"And what difference will that make?"

"You said that if your host dies you will die too. But I don't want to kill you."

"We have been caught in the planet's gravitational pull: full system failure in 5 minutes."

"Thank you, Computer." I said.

Lyle pulled out his phaser and pointed it at me. "Step away from the doors."

I smiled. "Have it your way."

He walked over to the doors and tried to open them, and failed.

"Please state your authorization code."

"LJacobs645875K5435487H."

"Access Denied."

"Mira, unlock the doors."

"No."

"Mira just do it." Jessica ordered.

"Once again, my answer is no. Go ahead and kill me. But remember that if you do, the doors will never be opened."

"This is Captain James Kirk of The United Starship Enterprise. We are locking onto your signals and beaming you aboard.

I started to cry.

"Forgive me." I whispered. "I'm so sorry, but I can't let you harm anyone else."

I raised my fan and slashed Lyle's throat, and he fell convulsing onto the ground. Jessica started to raise her hands in surrender. Kridelins are an advanced empathic, telepathic, and telekinetic alien race able to block their abilities, and that's what I had done for the past six years. I lowered the barrier around my mind, and probed hers. Jessica was too far gone. I used my telekinesis to control "Jessica's" mind.

_I'm so sorry about this. Pull out your phaser, put it to your head, and pull the trigger._

There was a slight resistance, but Jessica did as she was told. As she crumpled onto the ground, I felt the slight pull of a transporter beam, and let the sobs overcome me. I was suddenly on my knees on a transporter pad, surrounded by children. I needed to pull myself together if only for them. I gathered them all around me.

"I'm sorry we couldn't give all of your parents a proper burial. There wasn't time."

"Kirk to Engineering. Do you have them?"

"Aye Captain."

"On my way."

When the captain came into the transporter room, I smiled at him. He smiled back, but it wasn't with a smile of old friends. He didn't recognize me, but then again he had been a total skirt chaser when we first met. I shrugged I could use this to my advantage.

"Come on children; let's go to sickbay for our physicals."

James gaped at me and I shrugged. I was well versed on Starfleet medical procedures, having had a best friend in the medicine field, and also studying it myself. I had helped to birth a few of the children around me, back when I first come on board Star Base 21.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to be dropped?"

"No. That base was our home for the past two years. We don't know anything else." That wasn't exactly true…I did. "We'd like to stay here if it's not a problem." I told James as I passed.

"Of course not. I'll have a yeoman prepare your rooms."

"Thank you."

I climbed into the lift with the children, and it took us directly to sickbay. The nurse screamed and dropped everything to run to me.

"Christine! What are you doing here?" I cried as we hugged.

"I was assigned to the Enterprise, remember, while you chose to work on Star Base 21?"

"It's a small frickin' world. Who knew it would be the Enterprise coming to save me from a crumbling Star Base? Speaking of which, we're all here for physicals, although I assure you, I don't need one."

"I'm sure you don't, but its—"

"Protocol. I know. I did—LEONARD!"

He turned to me. "Mira? What are you doing here?"

"Getting a check up? Isn't that what people normally do in Sick Bay?"

"Not here in Sick Bay, here on the Enterprise. I thought you were stationed on Star Base 21?"

I shrugged and checked the time. "I need to go to the Bridge."

"But you haven't—"

"I know. Call me a masochist, but for some strange reason I need to see my home crash into the planet…in order for me to know it's really gone."

One of the children I helped to birth, Lizabell, tugged on my sleeve as I turned to leave.

"Miwa, don' go."

"But Lizzie, I really need to do this."

"Miwa, I scawed."

"Scared? Of wha—oh. I'll do it first so that you know that it's not scary, okay? Leonard, if you please."

"I'll get Jim to broadcast it down here for you."

"Not what I meant, but that's very nice of you. Now let's do this whole check up thing okay?" I asked. "Did you know that James didn't recognize me at all? I felt really hurt, but I kind of want to use it against him somehow. Why did you recognize me? I mean, we only met briefly for two days, and then didn't ever really see each other."

"You're very…unique."

"Is that boy code for you're a total freak?"

"No." Leonard replied, as he checked over my vitals. "You're perfectly healthy."

"As I implied to Christine, I'm fit as a fiddle."

I stared at the view screen as I held Lizabell's hand through her physical. I wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand. It was really gone.

xxxxx

"I'm what?" I asked in disbelief.

"Lieutenant Stelloc."

"No. That's not gonna fly."

"I'm sorry? What?"

"I'm sorry…_Captain_. I was the **chief engineer** on Star Base 21."

"I already have a chief engineer."

"I didn't say you didn't. I just worked hard to get where I am. Being called Lieutenant is just demeaning, and it's a total step backwards. May I be Lieutenant Commander Stelloc? I promise I won't undermine...Mr. Scott's—that is his name, am I correct?—commands, but I've been a senior officer for the past two years. I won't let myself be demoted."

"You know, you remind me of a girl that I once knew. She didn't take no for an answer either. She was very headstrong. We only met once and it was only for two days…you two even have the exact same name. I guess Mira Stelloc is very popular."

I rolled my eyes. "Does that mean I still get to be a senior officer?"

"I suppose it does." James sighed.

I left the captain's quarters and looked back over my shoulder. "You really think Mira Stelloc is a popular name, skirt-chaser? It was me…how did you ever make it to be a captain when you're not that observant?"

James stood their, mouth agape as I laughed and skipped into the lift, where there was a girl in a yellow outfit; a command officer. I held out my hand.

"Hi. My name's Mira Stelloc."

"Cinnamon Shafer. I've never seen you around before."

"I'm new. I just got transported here from Star Base 21. I'm going to be working in engineering. Did your parents really name you Cinnamon or do you just like to be called that?"

"It's really my name." She sighed.

"Oh. Well it's spicy." I joked.

We giggled as he lift opened, and a man with a blue uniform and pointed ears, entered.

"Bridge." He said.

"There was no need to do that commander. Since I'm here, wouldn't you assume I was headed to the bridge, considering I work there?" Cinnamon said to him.

"I only assumed that you were on break, and it is better to be safe then ride this all the way down to engineering, where I assume Lieutenant Stelloc is headed."

"Lieutenant **Commander** Stelloc." I corrected.

"I am sorry. I was informed that you were to be a Lieutenant."

"You were informed wrong."

"Mr. Spock, why is it you're so annoying?" Cinnamon asked.

"Annoyance? Ah, one of your earth emotions. I am Vulcan, and therefore do not experience such feelings."

"Please." Cinnamon scoffed. "You're **half** Vulcan. I've seen you show more emotion then the Captain."

"That would be impossible." Spock said.

Cinnamon shook her head behind his back, and I laughed. This would prove to be a very exciting and fun ship. I would hopefully soon forget all about what happened on Star Base 21.

xxxxx


	3. The Enterprise

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry this took so long to get posted. I was having issues with spam posts, so I took it down. For those of you that don't know, The Slipper and the Rose is an amazing Cinderella story. In this chapter, Mira is adjusting to her life on the Enterprise, but winds up with an unpleasant blast from her past. Chapter four will start up in the actual first season of the series. :P**

xxxxx

**Chapter 3: The Enterprise**

"No way! Mr. Emotionally Constipated? Are you serious?"

"Mira! You promised you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm sorry Christine. But that was before I knew. I just can't see you and Spock…you know, together."

"I shouldn't have told you."

"I'm just poking fun. I mean—"

"Lieutenant Commander Stelloc to Engineering."

"What now?" I asked the ceiling.

"Mr. Scott sounds angry."

"He's probably just a little irritated because yesterday I pointed out a mistake he made, and he realized I was right. It was a really tiny one, and it was the first mistake he's made since I got here, and the only one I've ever heard of him making. He's still a genius, and totally my hero…even though he's a bit of an alcoholic."

"What was his mistake?"

"I told him that if we rewired the warp nacelles, to be tighter, then we could actually push warp 7 instead of 5. He did all the calculations and realized it was true. Anyways, I need to go. He'll have a cow if I'm late again."

I headed for the door to be stopped by Christine's voice. I turned.

"Again? What happened the first time?"

"I was fighting with Jim over my senior officer status."

"Ooh! How cute!"

I cocked an eyebrow and turned back to her. "What?"

"You called him Jim! You always used to call him James or Captain Kirk. Someone's got a crush on the captain!"

I blushed. Was I that transparent?

"Will you shut up? I do not!"

"Do too! You're totally crushing on Captain Kirk!" She cried.

"Keep your voice down!" I whispered.

"You have a crush on the captain! You have a major crush on the captain!" She sang.

"What are you, five?" I scoffed. "I can tolerate that stuff from Lizabell, Geoffrey, and Frankie but they're two. You're a grown woman!"

"I'm just poking fun. I mean—"

"Oh shit! As much as I'd love to continue this discussion, I'm late!" I cried and ran out of the mess hall.

I'd been the ones pulling the strings for so long, I'd forgotten that being on time was a way to get to do exactly what I wanted and where. I'd wanted to work on the bridge since I got here, but being late twice, made that near impossible.

"Why are you late this time, lass?" Scotty asked.

"I was arguing with Nurse Chapel?" I grinned awkwardly.

"You're just making a bunch of friends aren't you?" He joked.

"Oh go away. She's my best friend. It's allowed." I waved him off. "What did you need me for…and why are we orbiting Chondra?"

"The Captain, Mr. Spock, The Doc and I are going down—you're familiar with this planet?" Scotty asked, his eyes lighting up.

I cringed. Damn. The look in his eyes suggested I go down in his place. That wasn't going to fly. The bridge would be mine.

"Not familiar." I lied; Marthos and I had stayed there a good week on our way to Earth. "But I know of it. It's inhabited by a private race of Megalons…" I looked at Scotty, who was terribly confused. "Plant people; they are all part plant, and are very in tune with the planet. Tread carefully while you're down there."

"Where did you find all this information?"

"I have my sources."

"Is there any way you know of to get them to join the Federation? That's our mission."

I shrugged.

"They like art…especially landscapes and plants, and works of pure fiction. I don't know how you're going to use that to your advantage, but that's not really my problem. Have fun down there!"

"There are things malfunctioning all over the ship. I'm leaving the Enterprise in your capable hands, lass."

"It feels nice to be trusted again…especially after all the questioning about what happened to the two other life forms that didn't get beamed aboard with me…considering they were right next to me when I was rescued from Star Base 11. Thank you."

"I really had no choice. Truthfully, you're the only one I **can** trust with my lady while I'm gone."

"Please don't give the Enterprise a gender. Then I'll feel weird messing around inside…see? You ruined everything. I might have to go down in your place now."

Scotty grinned. "That's fine with me—"

"I'm not going down there. Now get to the transporter room, mister!"

"I'm your superior officer. You can't order me around."

"We're the same rank, but technically you are. See you when you get back. I need to save **your lady** from your roaming hands." I smiled, and walked away before he could argue, and went into the lift. "Bridge."

xxxxx

"Oh come on, Ru." I pleaded.

"It's Acting Captain Sulu."

I snorted. "Please? I don't want to hurt you."

"You're no match for my fencing skills."

"Wanna bet? But wait, this isn't the time or place for that. Please? I promise you'll like it." I said.

"Oh, just do it Mr. Sulu. Otherwise she'll never stop."

"Thank you, Cinnamon."

She smiled and winked at me.

"All right, go ahead." He sighed.

"Yes!" I gave a triumphant arm pump and stuck the diskette in.

As the overture started playing, I smiled and walked to Scotty's bridge station. I pried open the bulkhead and grimaced, remembering the conversation Scotty and I had had earlier before he left. I started dancing and singing to 'The Slipper and the Rose' as it played behind me, forgetting about everyone else as I worked my way across the bridge.

There was a tap on my shoulder; during what I had dubbed 'The Slipper Dance' as Cinderella danced with her shoe after Prince Edward threw it. I looked up from Mr. Spock's station, startled.

"Hmmm?"

"Wow you work fast." Cinnamon nodded appreciatively.

"Yeah, when I'm distracted with music." I laughed.

"Distracted? Should we be—"

"Worried? No. I work better with music. I guarantee each station will work 15% better now."

"Captain Kirk wants you to come down to the planet briefly."

"I'll finish Mr. Spock's station first then." I turned back to the open bulkhead, and crossed a few more wires, then turned back to Cinnamon. "I suppose this is goodbye."

"Are these people violent?" She gasped.

I shook my head. "I just finished here. When I get back, I'll either be in the Torpedo Launch Bay, or Sickbay and the Med Lab. Can I have my movie back?"

"When we're finished with it, I'll return it to you, I promise."

I giggled, seeing Hikaru watching the view screen intently. "Incredible. The person who didn't want me to watch it, is the one most riveted."

"You should probably go."

"I know. I know. I just don't get why I need to go down there. I don't want to see **him** again."

"Who?"

"Triggold." I frowned.

"Yikes, that's an awful name. What'd he do?"

"He tried…and failed, I might add, to sabotage Marthos' shuttle—Marthos was my guardian—when we passed through on our way to Earth six years ago."

"Why?"

"He wanted to keep me here and force me to marry him. He was all hands and always smelled of bad cabbage. I never wanted to come back here to this region of space let alone go back down to the planet. Damn it! I love their wedding! Maybe I can—"

"Go. You've seen it before. A bunch of times it seems."

"Fine." I huffed. "See you…when I see you." I smiled, as I climbed into the lift. "Deck Five."

I exited the lift, trying to prepare myself. Triggold had been next in line for the leadership of Chondra. I hadn't kept up with the news of this planet, but when I'd left the previous leader was old and frail, and I was pretty sure he'd died, advancing Triggold. I sighed. Why had I been called down?

"Morning, Mira."

"Good Morning, Vinny." I chirped at the man running the transporter. "All the bugs worked out? You'll be able to beams us all back up?"

"Yup. I finished just before you arrived. I received instruction that you're to beam down to the planet."

I frowned at the reminder. "Just beam me down to wherever the Hell you sent the away team."

Vinny chuckled. "Is there any reason you're not looking forward to joining them?"

I stepped on the transporter pad. "Let's just say, I'm not looking forward to having to charm the leader. Can you go fix the shower in my quarters? I'm going to need it when I get back. Energize."

The last thing I saw was Vinny doubled over with laughter. I glared.

"It's about time you got here." Jim mumbled when he saw me. "What took you so long? We've been waiting for you."

"Well I'm sorry I was doing my job. So, why am I here, again?" I asked, knowing full well I hadn't been told a first time.

"They were refusing to join the Federation and then Mr. Scott told us it was you who knew of them. It was logical to bring you down to help." Mr. Spock explained.

"You must really hate me." I said.

"Why would you assume that?" Leonard asked.

"Mira Stelloc!"

I cringed. "That's why."

Scotty raised his eyebrows. "I don't understand. What's going on?"

I turned from them as Jim, Leonard, and Spock shook their heads because they had no idea what was going on either. I addressed the person who had called my name. I braced myself to lie.

"Triggold! Oh wow, it's a small universe! It's been so long!"

_Lie, Mira!_ I told myself as Triggold and I moved to hug. _Lie your butt off!_

"I missed you so much. I knew you'd be back though."

"It was just hard to get away." _Yeah, from you, buddy._ "I never wanted to stay away for six years."_ Forever would've been better_ I thought as I pulled his roaming hands off of me. The Enterprise had to deal with this all the time from Scotty. "I see you did become leader as you'd hoped.

He made another pass at me, but I held him off as well as trying not to breathe in too deeply. If he didn't stop trying to touch me, things were going to get out of hand faster then anyone thought was possible. Screw the mission; I'd be out of here immediately.

"I'm here on business, not pleasure." I gagged inside.

He took my hand and dragged me to the audience chamber. I looked over my shoulder and drew my right index finger across my throat, while mouthing 'you're dead' to Jim. He, Leonard, and Scotty laughed and followed with Mr. Spock.

"Why should we Megalons join your Federation?"

I smiled flirtatiously, and gagged again. "You'll be able to have unlimited access to federation archives of art and fiction. Also, you're on the cusp of Cardassian space. If they ever decide to expand, The Federation will be there to offer protection and medicine." I lowered my voice just a smidge, put my mouth near his ear, and my hand on his plant leg. "They'll send a ship to check up on you, every few months. And if the Enterprise is in the area, I'll be here too." I pulled away and batted my eyelashes.

"Joining your Federation sounds like a good idea; I speak for the whole of Chondra, when I say we will."

I smiled and stood. "There are a few details to hammer out, but those have to be left to Captain Kirk. I must take my leave. Duty calls." _A shower does too_.

"Mr. Spock, Mr. Scott, and Dr. McCoy shall accompany you. I shall be along shortly."

We all nodded and headed to the transporter coordinates, as Mr. Spock took out his communicator to tell Vinny to beam us up. I couldn't stop wiping my hands on my uniform.

"I need to shower! That was gross!" I whined as we all got caught in the pull of the transporter beam. "If you excuse me, I'm going to go work in the torpedo bay and hope one of them, blows up in my face." I said as I got off the pad.

"That bad?" Vinny asked.

I looked at him and nodded. "That bad. Did you get around to fixing my shower?"

He shook his head. "I'll get right on it after I beam up the Captain."

I left the transporter room, to be stopped by Scotty's voice.

"What have you fixed?" He asked.

"The Bridge."

"What parts of the bridge?" Mr. Spock asked.

"The **whole** bridge and it took me just over two hours. It took Ensign Vincent Jeffries just over two hours to fix the transporter…only." I looked over Leonard's shoulder back towards Vinny. "Isn't that right, Vinny?"

He nodded sheepishly.

I gave Leonard a hug. "I'll be seeing you as soon as I'm done in the torpedo bay."

"Kirk to Enterprise. Beam me up."

I got into the lift and frowned when Jim made me hold it.

"Deck 2." I said, but as the lift started moving, Jim halted it and turned to me.

"What was all that back there?" he asked.

"The you're dead part, or the having to whore myself out so you could complete your mission part?"

"The last one."

"I don't see why you care." I muttered. "You did what you went down there to do…unless you're jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?"

"I don't know. I'm just throwing options out there. If you're not jealous, why the Hell did you follow me just to ask me that? It's the only reason I can think of. Please remove your hand from the emergency stop so I can go do my job."

"No. Not until we talk this out."

"There's nothing to talk about. He knew me, I knew him, He loved me, and I did what I had to do. Sure I feel bad for exploiting his love, but who are you to pass judgment? You would've done the exact same thing in my place. Trust me, I read your file."

"How do you know him anyways?"

"Not your problem."

"I am the captain of this vessel and you will—"

"Captain Kirk to the bridge." Mr. Sulu announced.

I grinned. "Saved by the crisis. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do." I reached over and smacked Jim's hand from the emergency stop. The lift doors opened and I practically ran out into the torpedo bay.

"Bridge." Jim said.

"I'll be seeing you later then. Bye…Jim."

He gaped at me as the lift doors closed. I'd never called him Jim to his face before.

xxxxx


	4. The Enemy Within

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Again, so sorry this took so long. College classes and homework and stuff. So this is based off of Episode 5 of TOS: the Enemy within. Next chapter I might bring in another blast from Mira's past only it's a good one. I hope you all remembered the name Ricter Dreykovich like I told you to at the beginning of chapter two! ENJOY!**

xxxxx

**Chapter 4: The Enemy Within**

It was fun being down on an almost uninhabited class M planet. I had found the most wonderful musical plant. If you gently ran your finger along the underside of the leaves, it began to hum quietly. I'd discovered it quite by accident but was enjoying myself all the same.

I started to play a song, realizing that the plant made different tones, and looked around trying to figure out what happened to the rest of the away team, and screamed a blood-curdling scream. Jim, Ru, Vinny, and three science officers, all came running over to me.

I needed to get away from it as fast as possible. I hurled myself into the first person who got to me…which just happened to be Jim. His arms closed around me.

"Mira, what is it?" He asked.

I pointed.

"It's a spider." Hikaru said.

"No shit, Sherlock! I know it's a spider! What, did you figure that out when you saw it had eight legs? It's a spider as big as my freaking head! Why do you think I screamed?"

"I don't understand."

"I'm a freaking arachnophobic, you shithead!" I cried.

Jim stroked my hair. "I'll take it from here Mr. Sulu. You're obviously upsetting her more."

With a nod, everyone left the two of us to continue examining the planet.

"Please get it away." I muttered into Jim's chest. "Just get it away from me."

Jim released me and picked up the spider carrying it far away from me. I sighed with relief. Spiders were not my friends, and if it hadn't of been so huge, I would've killed it.

"Are you all right? You look rather shaken."

"I'm fine. I've never seen such a huge arachnid. I had hoped that spiders were only native to Earth, but I guess not."

"Would you like to go up to the ship? Away from spiders?"

"Yes please. I'd like to take this plant back…and add it to my room decorations…It'll make a marvelous addition to—" I trailed off.

Jim nodded. "All right. Go ahead, and try not to run into anymore giant spiders."

I laughed, and started to walk back towards my musical shrub, but there was a gentle hand on my arm. I turned back, and Jim kissed me. Why? I had no idea, nor did I care.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

It was half order, half question.

I smiled. "It would have to be in your quarters. Mine are…under construction."

"Mira, you've been with us for three months. How is it you're still settling in?"

"I'm very particular."

Jim laughed and nodded, as he walked away. I collected a sample of _my_ plant in order to replicate it later and pulled my communicator off my belt as I walked to the transporter coordinates.

"Scotty, Energize."

The scenery dissolved, and I found myself on the transporter pad.

"This is Geological Technician Fisher. Beam me up."

I was standing next to Scotty, helping him beam Fisher aboard, but when he fizzled out and wouldn't solidify, I got a little worried.

"He was messing around with a soft yellow ore. Maybe it has something to do with what's wrong. Try upping the transporter capacity by 3.65 to compensate." I said.

When Ensign Fisher finally solidified, Scotty and I both walked over with scanners.

"Magnetic." Scotty said.

"Ensign, go decontaminate that uniform." I ordered. "Wilson, accompany him to sickbay will you?"

"Yes sir."

"Kirk to Enterprise."

"Scott here."

"Energize."

"Aye Captain."

"Hey Scotty, I'm going to go to sickbay for a little bit alright?" I asked.

"Go ahead, lass."

"Awesome. See you later. Don't do anything fun while I'm gone."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"You say that now, but we'll see—Jim, are you all right?" I asked when I looked at the transporter pad, and he was holding his head like he was light headed.

"I'm fine. It's nothing serious."

"If you say so." I shrugged and skipped out of the room into the lift. "Sickbay."

xxxxx

"Hi, Fisher. How's that hand of yours?"

"Better, thanks to the Doc." He told me.

"Glad to hear it. Leo, where is your lovely nurse?"

"She's in the lab with Lieutenant Commander Shafer."

"Cinnamon's in here? Sweet. Thanks."

I skipped happily into the medical lab, to find the two of them arguing over something, I'd heard the word 'Spock', but they stopped as soon as I showed up with a big grin on my face.

"Why are you so happy?" Christine asked.

"Because Jim kissed me!" I squealed, completely disregarding Leonard and Fisher in the next room as well as their fight.

"Are you serious?" Cinnamon cried.

"Completely!"

"He kissed you?" Christine giggled.

"And we have a date tonight."

"Really?"

I nodded, and the two of them squealed right along with me. They couldn't be more excited for me, considering Christine was living vicariously through me…Spock was still emotionally constipated, and completely unaware of her feelings for him and Cinnamon was just a happy person.

"You picked a good day Fisher; business has been lousy. What'd you do? Take a fall on purpose so you could get a little vacation?" Leonard joked, from the other room.

Fisher, Christine, Cinnamon and I all laughed.

"Saurian Brandy." A voice said.

"That sounds like Jim but he sounds…different. There's something wrong. Stay here," I muttered poking my head into the next room.

Sure enough, Jim was standing in the middle of Sickbay, looking like a wild man.

"Back to duty status, Fisher. I have no Sympathy for clumsiness." Leonard said clapping Fisher on the back.

"Yes sir." Fisher said, getting off the examination table and walking over to Jim who was now leaning against the wall. "My hand's much better, sir."

Jim continued staring at the wall, saying nothing. When Fisher left, Leonard walked over to him slowly.

"Is there something I can do for you Jim?" He asked.

Jim suddenly grabbed Leonard's collar. "I said give me the brandy!" He growled.

Leonard opened up the wall panel where he stored his alcohol and pulled out a flask of what I assumed to be Saurian Brandy. Jim took it and stormed out of sickbay.

"You have a date with that?" Christine asked.

"That's not Jim." I said.

"No, but that _was_ hot." Cinnamon muttered.

Christine and I looked at her in disgust.

"Are you kidding me?" I cried. "You're freakin' twisted!"

"What? He was so…primal. It was sexy."

"Number one, you're weird, and number two, you can't—" I began.

"Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Commander Stelloc to Engineering."

"Aw, come on!" Cinnamon cried, and then cursed under her breath. "I wanted to hear more about what happened down on the planet!"

We all giggled, and Leonard sighed rather loudly.

"Please. Sick people come in here to rest." Leonard chided us.

"Leo, there's no one here but us. What does it matter how loud we are?" I asked.

"I don't want to hear your girl talk." He replied.

"I have to go anyways. I need to get this plant to my room and as you heard, Scotty wants me in Engineering."

"I want to hear all about your date, tomorrow morning." Christine told me.

"Me too." Cinnamon agreed.

"I don't."

"Oh shut up, Leo." I teased, and left the room and headed down the corridor to the lift. "So what's the sitch, Sexy Scotty?" I asked when I was back in Engineering, giving Scotty a wink.

He chuckled and Jim gave me a look. I shrugged. I wasn't going to stop hitting on Scotty just because Jim and I planned _a_ date. He didn't own me; I was a Kridelin princess who belonged to no one but herself. If jealously reared its ugly head, I could end everything with a snap of my fingers.

"We beamed this little fellow up just a few minutes ago, and not long after this beamed aboard too." Scotty told us, motioning inside two different crates.

Each crate held a lion/dog/unicorn thing exactly like the one Mr. Sulu had been holding before I found the spider. One was vicious and hostile, and was trying very hard to escape from the crate it was confined in, while the other one was docile and laying there quietly.

"A vicious duplicate." I muttered, reaching my hand in to pet the nice one.

"We don't dare to send the landing party up…if it should happen to a man…" Scotty continued.

"Scotty we can't leave them down there! It gets down to 120 below 0, after sunset!" I cried.

"Mr. Scott how did this happen?"

"I don't know, Captain."

I ignored the niggling in the back of my mind that something was already wrong, and tried to focus on the pressing matter at hand.

I snapped my fingers. "Fisher."

"What about Fisher?" Jim asked.

"Sir, when we beamed Fisher aboard, he was covered in a soft yellow ore that was highly magnetic. Though I fear Miss Stelloc, is jumping to conclusions because there's no conclusive evidence to implement Fisher." Scotty said.

I clucked my tongue. "Then let's get some conclusive evidence. Jim, raincheck. Scotty, patch me in to the away team."

"Sulu here."

"Ru, I'm sorry I called you a shithead. I don't really feel that way you know, just thought you should know. And if you don't make it back up here, I'll kill you." I told him. "Come back in one piece okay?"

Hikaru chuckled. "Okay, I will."

After ending the transmission, I turned to Scotty and batted my eyelashes. "Will you please go find Fisher for me, Sexy? I'd like to examine his uniform."

Scotty rolled his eyes, and left the transporter room.

"Mira, what did you think you were doing?"

"My job." I turned away. "Wilson, please hand me that hydrospanner. I have things to fix."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know. I called for a rain check because we have a lot on our minds."

"That's still not what I meant. Why were you flirting with Scotty?"

"Scotty's my boss." I shrugged crawling into the Jeffries Tube underneath the transporter pad, to try and rewire the coils to undo the damage that the magnetism had done. "And besides, I'm not going to stop platonically flirting with him, just because we arranged for ONE date. Did that sound as slutty as I think it did?"

Jim laughed as I climbed out from under the transporter.

"Probably."

"Well there's nothing I can do from there. Maybe if we send something magnetic back through…that won't work and we risk doing that to something harmful or even helpful to the away team. What if we tried to send down some coffee and it splits into coffee grounds and water? Where's Scotty with that uniform?"

"I'm going to go." Jim told me.

"Okay, have fun." I said absently. "Wait, what did you do with the brandy flask?"

"What are you talking about? I haven't had a brandy flask. See you later, Mira."

I stood there in front of the transporter pad, shocked. How could he deny that he had taken that Saurian Brandy from sickbay, when Fisher, Christine, Cinnamon, Leonard and I had all seen him? I clapped my hand to my mouth. I should've listened to that voice in the back of my head. Someone already had been split; Jim.

"Mr. Spock and Mr. Scott this is Lieutenant Commander Stelloc, please meet me in sickbay. We have a slight problem."

xxxxx

"What are we going to do? We have no previous experience with a human that's split up into two different people." I asked.

"How do you know that one isn't an imposter?" Leonard asked.

"I don't really want to go into that, but they have the same thoughts and the same memories."

"I need to inform the crew." Jim muttered.

"Jim, you can't do that! You are the captain of this ship! You can't afford the luxury of being less then perfect!" Spock announced.

"Mr. Spock, he's only human. They're flawed and everyone knows it, but it's their flaws that make them perfect. I'm sure the crew will understand."

"Of course, you're right Mr. Spock. What are our options?"

"We could send both of your halves back through the transporter, or we could wait for the Doc to come up with a cure for your…condition." Scotty said.

"What should I do? I just need someone to make the decisions!"

"Jim, we can't make the decision for you. In the end, it's up to you." Leonard told him.

I put my arm around Jim. "I know this is hard for you, but I'll be here. I know that you're indecisive and you've lost your strength of will, but I believe you can do it."

"Maybe we should wait. I mean, we've been given a rare opportunity to appraise the human mind, and the effects of the qualities of good and evil in a man. In one, we have compassion, love, and tenderness, and the other has all the hostility, lust and violence. And how, the negative side makes us strong, when the evil is properly controlled."

"He's right, Jim; you're the perfect science experiment."

"Mira…" Leonard warned as Jim looked at us all helplessly.

"Right, sorry. That's the engineer in me talking." I smiled sheepishly, and then was struck by a sudden thought. "We could use this to our advantage. Jim, where would you go to avoid a mass search?"

He thought about it for a moment. "The lower levels, on the engineering decks."

"Then we'll get a small security team—" Spock began.

"No. I don't want anyone else to see me like this."

"Captain, you told me to tell you if you slipped—"

"I know, Mr. Spock, and thank you, but you won't change my mind."

"I think it should just be the two of you." I said, looking at Spock and Jim. "The more people that go down there, the more that could get hurt by your…negative side."

The two of them nodded, and headed out of the briefing room.

"I hope the two of them will be okay." Leonard muttered, and left to go back to Sickbay.

"Come on, lass. We have a transporter to fix." Scotty told me.

The two of us left the briefing room as well, and headed back to engineering, My Kridelin senses telling me that something was wrong again.

"Scotty, we need to go down to the lower engineering decks."

"Why?"

"We have a new problem."

When the two of us got down to the lower levels, we gasped in horror and Scotty pulled out his communicator.

"Scott to Captain Kirk."

"Kirk here."

"We've found a new problem with the transporter. On the lower levels the casing has been blown wide open and some of the wires have been shot clean through."

"Can you fix it?"

I took Scotty's communicator from him. "I believe we can. I've been thinking a lot about it. If we attached it to the bypass and leader circuits, we could tie the transporter directly into the impulse engines, which would give us enough power to counteract the magnetic interference. Have you decided a course of action?"

"I'm going to go back through the transporter with my other half who is currently strapped down in sickbay."

"That seems best. Once we get the transporter up, we'll have to test it on the one other thing in this condition. We still don't know if it will work though."

"Thank you, Mira. Keep me informed."

"Always." I closed the communicator and Scotty and I went back to Main Engineering, and set about tying the transporter through the impulse engines.

"Scott to Captain."

"Yes Mr. Scott?"

"We're ready to test it."

"I'm on my way."

"You'd better bring Bones too. This may harm the poor lion/dog/unicorn thing."

When the two of them arrived in engineering, I didn't realize they weren't going to bring the sedated duplicate.

"Where's evil you?" I asked Jim.

"In sickbay with Lieutenant Commander Shafer." Leonard replied.

My eyes widened in horror and I started out the door on my way to sickbay. "I'll be right back."

"It's all right. I won't let them put you two back together. I like you just the way you are right now. You're really sexy like this, you know?"

"Cinnamon, stop touching him. He's going back. Without both halves, Jim'll die. Go man the bridge, because Spock, Scotty and Ru aren't there, so shouldn't the chain of command pass to you?"

She grinned, and stopped stroking negative Jim's hair. "You're right. See you!"

I unbelted the restraints, and put negative Jim's arm around my shoulders. It was time. When I reentered the transporter room, I realized that the lion/dog/unicorn thing was whole but dead, and overheard something important.

"It was scared Jim. It was an animal that was pulled apart and thrust back together, and its heart couldn't take it. But you know what to expect." Leonard told him.

"Trust me Jim, it'll work on you, and here is your other half, ready for the trip."

Jim wrapped his arms around his other half, hugged it, and stepped onto the transporter pad. I walked over to Scotty and helped him send Jim back through. When one Jim climbed off of the Transporter pad, I almost cried.

"Get those men aboard."

"Aye, Sir." Scotty nodded.

"They're fine, Jim, just a bit of hypothermia, but in a few days they'll be right as rain and back to work." Leonard said, looking up from his scanner.

I walked over to Hikaru and hugged him.

"Looks like you get to live." I whispered.

xxxxx


	5. Present Meets Past

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so this is the blast from Mira's past that she actually likes. The arrival of this person forms a wedge between her and Jim. This chapter takes place about a month after she and Jim started dating. Have fun deciphering the Russian accent—HINT: 'th' becomes 'd', 'v' becomes 'w', 'w' becomes 'v', and 've' becomes 'ff'. ENJOY!**

xxxxx

**Chapter 5: Present Meets Past**

"Captain, we're picking up a distress signal from the U.S.S. Endeavor." Lieutenant Uhura said.

"What was that name?" I asked, my head snapping up.

"Endeavor."

I clasped my hands over my mouth and sank down on my knees onto the floor of the bridge, my hand on the back of Scotty's chair.

"Oh my God! I never thought I'd hear that name again."

"Are you familiar with that ship?" Spock asked.

"How on Earth did you figure that out?" I asked sarcastically. "Of course I know it; it's **his** ship. Please tell me it's still intact."

"I'm picking up some rubble and debris, but not enough to indicate that the ship is destroyed." Scotty told me holding out his hand to me and pulling me to my feet.

"Just enough to indicate that the ship is crumbling rapidly. I hope he's still alive." I muttered taking the seat of the Navigations officer.

"Who?" Jim asked.

I swiveled around to face the captain's chair. "Ricter Dreykovich."

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Change your tone Jim, and let's help that ship."

'Mr. Sulu, lay in a course for the last known coordinates of the U.S.S. Endeavor."

"Yes Captain."

I swiveled back around in my chair and started scanning the area.

"Mira, if I may-?"

"Not now Jim."

"Captain, there is indication of a battle off of our port side."

"On screen."

"Klingons. The Endeavor is putting up quite a fight. Did he learn nothing from my Kobayashi Maru test?" I muttered.

"Come again?"

"He was part of my crew when I took the Kobayashi Maru test and beat it."

"Really?"

"Can we not talk about this now, there is a Klingon vessel attacking a federation ship right before our eyes, with a man that I—I'm targeting their weapons systems, should we take them out?"

"Mr. Sulu, fire when ready."

"Aye, sir."

"Captain, the Klingon warbird is disabled; I'd like to help beam the crew of the Endeavor over if you don't mind." I told him, looking up.

"That's fine. Mr. Sulu, engage a tractor beam and let's get out of here."

"Bye Mira! I'd like to meet this mystery man sometime!" Cinnamon called as the lift doors closed.

xxxxx

"Lieutenant Commander Dreykovich, I presume." I said in my best professional tone as I walked from the controls over to the transporter pad.

"I know dat voice." He muttered looking up.

"Long time no see." I smiled at him and got up onto the transporter pad to hug him.

His arms closed around me and he stroked my hair.

"Mira Stelloc. I didn't dink I'd haff the pleasure of seeing you again."

"I didn't think I'd see you again either. I wish it was under better circumstances, though. Come on there's someone you need to see." I linked my arm through his, and guided him from the transporter room.

"Vhat are you doing here? I thought you vere stationed on Star Base 21."

"I was, but Lyle and Jessica—you remember me telling you about them in one of our video communications, right?"

"Dat vas shortly before ve stopped all communication, am I correct?"

I laughed awkwardly. "Right…well Lyle and Jessica were each in a symbiotic relationship with human-hating alien life forms and sabotaged the station. Only nine children and I survived."

"Dat is wery ironic, all dings considered."

"Very true. And if I remember correctly it was a mutual decision to cease communication, because it was too painful for both of us. I promise you, I won't make that mistake again…so, I missed you. A lot."

"But you vere—"

'I know. I know. I was the one who broke it off, but in my defense, I had good reason to!"

"I vish I knew how you do dat." He chuckled.

I giggled. "All in due time, Ricter. Sickbay."

The lift whirred to life.

"Vhy are ve going to sickbay?"

"You'll see." I said, as we were getting out of the lift, and walked through the sickbay doors, making a certain nurse scream.

"Does she always do dat?" Ricter asked with one finger in his ear.

"Mostly when I'm involved." I sighed.

"Ricter? What are you doing here?" Christine cried rushing forward to embrace him. "I never expected to see you again!"

"There seems to be a lot of that going around." I muttered under my breath.

"I mean after what Mira did to you I am seriously surprised—"

"Hey! I had my reasons! And it was mutual, wasn't it Ricter?"

He shook his head. "No not really."

I sighed. "Fine. I'm the bad guy. I did a bad thing and tore poor Ricter's heart out and stomped on it. Does that make you happy?"

"No. Does Jim know about this?" Christine asked.

"Oh my God! Jim! Ricter please stay here with Christine. I'll be back."

I bolted out of sickbay, catching a glimpse of a disgruntled Leonard, but I shrugged it off and took the lift up to the bridge. I motioned quickly for Jim to follow me as I quickly walked into his ready room. He got up out of his chair and did as I bid.

"Mira, what's the matter?" Jim asked trying to take me in his arms,

I pulled away. "Jim, we can't do this right now."

"Okay, how about tonight?"

I shook my head. "No, we can't do this at all. Ricter and I, we have lots of history. So until I get this sorted out, I'm afraid I have to break up with you."

"What?"

"I have to breakup with you. I'm sorry, and I feel like a whore but I need to work this out."

As I started to walk out of the door, Jim gently grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"I think I deserve an explanation."

"Jim, Ricter and I met the day I took the Kobayashi Maru test for the third time. He was my helmsman. We hit it off and one thing led to another."

"There's more here then you're telling me."

I heaved a heavy sigh and sat back down in the chair I had just vacated, resting my elbows on my knees and placing my head in my hands.

"What do you want from me? Do you want to hear that he and I slept together? Or that he asked me to marry him?" I cried exasperatedly.

"Let me guess; you said no."

"Actually Jim, I said yes. We'd dated for two years; from the time we met until the time we graduated from the Starfleet Academy."

"So what happened?" He asked sitting on the arm of my chair.

"About a week after he proposed, we got our assignments. I was to be Commander Stelloc of Star Base 21, and he was going to be a pilot for the U.S.S. Endeavor. I couldn't ask him to give up being a Lieutenant Commander and a pilot when piloting was all he knew, and he couldn't ask me to give up being first in command, as there are no captains on star bases. So I returned the engagement ring and we went our separate ways."

"Did you even talk to each other after that?"

"Yes...for about two months when we were on our assignments, then we both agreed to cease all communications. We haven't spoken since then…until today."

"Why couldn't you—"

"Have a long distance engagement? Because I didn't know if I'd ever see him again! Starships get lost and destroyed every day, and I didn't know if I could handle that happening to another person close to me, so I let him go."

"But you still love him."

"I never stopped. Now do you see why I have to break up with you?"

"I do. Go get him."

I stood and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Morning Mira!" Cinnamon chirped.

"Morning." I grabbed her arm, and led her into the lift.

"What are you doing? I was in the middle of doing my job! I swear if I get shit from Spock one more time for supposedly slacking off, it's on your head!"

"You wanted to meet Ricter and he's in Sickbay right now. Who knows how long he'll be here, and I'll talk to Jim about letting this one slide."

"Oh that's right! It's awesome having a friend who's banging the captain!"

I choked. "Say what?"

"Well everyone knows Jim's reputation."

"I'm not sleeping with Jim! God! Is that what everyone thinks?"

Cinnamon shrugged as the lift doors opened and headed out of the lift.

"I don't know." She said grinning evilly.

"Cinnamon, that's not an answer! Get your ass back here!" I cried running after her into Sickbay and smack into Leonard. "Sorry Leo. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Let us get out of your hair."

"I was just leaving." He said, and shouldered past me.

"What was that about?" Christine asked coming to stand next to me.

"I have no idea. Was it something I said? Cinnamon, stop touching him!"

"His accent is so cute! Say vessels again." She giggled. "Or invention."

Ricter looked at me pleadingly.

"Okay! Fun time's over! Ricter, do you want a tour of The United Starship Enterprise now or later?" I asked clapping my hands together.

"Now please." He said getting off the examination table, and hustling over to me.

"Well this, as you know is Sickbay. I spend lots of time here and sometimes I even help out with medical treatments." I said, linking my arms through his, and leading him from sickbay.

"And these are your quarters, for the duration of your stay. How long are you here?" I asked at the end of the ship tour.

"I vill stay until a replacement ship is sent by Starfleet."

"Don't you technically get promoted because Commander Sutton is dead?"

"Dat is true. I vill talk to Captain Gregory about dis when I haff de time. Do you vant to come in?"

"That's probably not the best idea considering everything that's going on with me right now."

"Do you vish to talk about it?"

"Yes, but not right now. I thought I'd accepted the fact that we'd never see each other again, but seeing you here, and now, just makes all my old feelings resurface, and I don't know how to handle it. I just broke up with the guy I'd been seeing for a month, because you came here."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I. So until I get myself sorted out, I shouldn't come in."

"I vish for us to talk. Now."

I shook my head. "I can't."

"You can."

"I can't! Ricter, I really can't!"

"Mira, please. I vant you to be able to talk to me about anyding as you vere once able to."

"I love you!" I blurted and then clasped my hands over my mouth; it wasn't supposed to happen like that.

"You—"

"The truth is: I never stopped loving you, Ricter." I whispered, looking down at the floor.

Ricter cupped my chin in his hand and gently tilted my chin so I looked into his eyes. I'd forgotten how beautiful those grey eyes were.

"Den vhy did you break up vith me? Vhy did you break off our engagement?"

_Because I was stupid, that's why._

"I couldn't handle a long distance relationship where one party could die at any time. We both accepted our assignments, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't ask you to give up being a pilot, because that was what you had studied. I wasn't going to give up being in charge of Star Base 21. It wouldn't have worked between us. Of course I was the one who almost died because my station almost crashed into a planet—"

"Dat is vhy you returned my engagement ring? A small reason like dat?"

"Ricter, I—"

He stopped me with a kiss. As bad as I felt that I had **JUST** broken up with Jim, I couldn't help it, I kissed him back. He wrapped his arm around me, and opened the door behind him.

xxxxx

"I'm a terrible human being, who doesn't deserve to live. Leo, will you use your hypospray on me as long as there is a lethal dose of some sedative or poison that will kill me in it?" I cried putting my head in my arms while sitting at his desk in sickbay.

"Do you have a death wish?" He asked.

I looked up for a minute, and then slammed my head back onto the desk. "At the moment, yes."

"And yet, this isn't the first time you've wanted to die."

"Yeah, and if a torpedo had blown up in my face, I wouldn't need to ask to die a second time."

"I would've been able to cure you of third degree burns."

"It wouldn't have mattered if I had suffocated because the torpedoes had been launched and the door wouldn't shut properly. What kind of whore am I?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe you should start at the beginning."

"I broke up with Jim **YESTERDAY** and I kissed Ricter **YESTERDAY**. Do you see the problem here?"

"One little kiss Jim'll understand; It's not like you slept with him."

I smacked my head on the desk again. "I hate myself. Are you going to kill me or do I have to ask Scotty to do it?"

"You slept with him?" Leonard had suddenly gone bitter.

"Fine, I'll kill myself. Hand me the hypospray."

"I'm a doctor not an accessory to suicide. I also happen to hold all life sacred. You will not die in my Sickbay."

"I hope you can't resuscitate me."

I got out of Leonard's chair, as he gave me the cold shoulder. What the Hell was his problem? As I was on my way down the corridor, I heard my name broadcasted over the ship's intercom.

"Mira Stelloc to the Shuttle Bay."

I cocked my head to one side. That was a request that I'd never heard before and I had to admit that I was intrigued. I sprinted into the lift.

"Shuttle Bay."

When the lift doors opened, I was greeted by Ricter, smiling. I smiled back, and walked into the shuttle bay. I looked around and realized that everyone from The U.S.S. Endeavor that had survived the Klingon encounter was there. I was confused.

"What's going on?"

"I vas contacted by Starfleet. De ship dey are sending is en route, and should be here at 0900. Your keptain has given us dis shuttle to ferry my people to it."

"That's in 5 minutes! Why didn't you tell me before? And you know we could just transport everyone there."

"I vould haff told you, but since you veren't dere vhen I voke up, I couldn't tell you. I vant you to come vith me dis time. Ve are heppy to take de shuttle."

I could feel the tears brimming. "That is super sweet, but I can't. I love it here. And as much as I love you, I can't go with you. I've made a life here over the past four months. I like Jim Kirk. But I will always love you."

"This is the U.S.S. Kindle to the Enterprise. We are ready to receive the crew of the Endeavor."

"I'll miss you."

"I vill miss you too."

"Stay in contact, okay?"

"Are you sure dat vill vork out dis time?"

"Yes. You will always hold a special place in my heart. One never forgets their first love. But I have to move on. I love you."

"I luff you too."

xxxxx


End file.
